Louisiana Maritime Law Attorneys Explains: You Have Rights After A Cruise Ship Attack

ABC News recently reported a story about the 2009 rape of a 14-year-old girl by a Carnival Cruise employee. The girl and her family were on an 8-day Caribbean cruise. One night, the girl was unable to sleep and went to the upper deck to write in her journal. An employee pilled the girl into a employee-only lounge and raped her. The girl did not want to ruin the family vacation and did not report the incident to her parents until months after she returned home.

This was not an isolated incident. Sexual crimes are the most common crimes reported on cruise ships, and the majority of crimes are committed by crew members.

Most people don’t think about crime when they go on a cruise. They worry about the ship sinking or losing a passport in a foreign country. Passengers believe they are safe while aboard a cruise ship. The party atmosphere makes it difficult to believe that real dangers exist.

The family of the 14-year-old passenger reported the rape to Carnival, but the crew member had returned to his home country of Indonesia. Nine months later, he was working on another Carnival cruise ship and was arrested by the FBI and is serving a 3 year prison term. The family has sued Carnival for sexual assault committed by a crew member.

Until recently, cruise ship crimes were not tracked and ships were not required to report crimes against cruise ship passengers. In July 2010, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act was passed and became law. Now cruise ships are required to report all allegations of crimes to the U.S. Coast Guard and to the FBI. They must also install surveillance cameras and keep rape kits on board in case of sexual assault. However, it is important to remember that in many cases, ships are registered in foreign countries and are not subject to U.S. laws.

Cruise ships are required to screen their employees in order to ensure passenger safety. If you have been injured on a cruise ship or assaulted by a crew member on a cruise ship, you have rights under maritime law. To learn more, contact The Young Firm Louisiana to schedule a free consultation with a maritime law attorneys, 866-938-6113.